    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [October 11, 2004]
    [Pages 2443-2452]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Hobbs, New Mexico
    October 11, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming out. It's nice to be
    back in a part of the world that I know very well. I was raised right
    around the corner. It's good to be in a part of the world where the
    cowboy hats outnumber the ties. It's good to be in a part of the world
    where people believe in their family and their faith and their country.
        I want to thank all the people from Lea County, New Mexico, for
    coming here today. I'm proud you're here. Thanks for organizing this
    great event. I want to thank the people from Eddy County who are here.
    When I was a little guy, I distinctly remember going to Carlsbad
    Caverns. I went with the Cub Scout troop. It just so happened the den
    mother was my mother. [Laughter] I think that's
    when her hair started to go white. [Laughter] Appreciate the people from
    Chaves being here as well.
        I want to thank my friends who've come over from the great State of
    Texas. I'm proud you all are here. I really appreciate the Flying Eagles
    from Hobbs being here. Thank you for being here in the band. Still play
    pretty good basketball? [Applause] Yes. That's what I figured.
    [Laughter]
        I'm here to ask for your vote. That's what I'm here to do. By the
    way, I don't know if you know this, but I'm the first sitting President
    to have ever visited Hobbs, New Mexico. I may just be the first sitting
    President to have visited, and the first person who's the President
    who's ever been here before he was President. [Laughter] All I can tell
    you is the other ones missed a lot by not coming to Hobbs, New Mexico.
        I'm also here to ask for your help. You know, last time, in New
    Mexico, we lost by just a little over 600 votes. If every one of you all
    takes somebody to the polls come voting time, we'll win. So I'm here to
    thank you for what you're going to do. You're going to convince our
    fellow citizens to do their duty and vote. And when you're turning
    people out to the polls, don't overlook discerning Democrats, people
    like Zell Miller who understands that if you
    want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better America, to put
    me and Dick Cheney back in office.

    [[Page 2444]]

        I'm keeping really good company today. I'm proud to be traveling
    with one of our twin daughters, Jenna Bush. This
    is the camping trip I promised to take her on when she was a kid.
    [Laughter]
        Jenna and I just said goodbye to a great First Lady. You know, when
    I asked Laura to marry me, she said, ``Fine, just
    so long as I never have to give a political speech.'' I said, ``You got
    a deal.'' [Laughter] Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that. The
    American people have seen not only a great speaker, when she speaks, but
    they've seen a graceful, compassionate, great First Lady. I like to tell
    people, you know, I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back in,
    but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is the First
    Lady for 4 more years.
        I'm real proud of George P. Bush. Now,
    his dad is my brother, and he's the Governor of
    Florida. So if he's listening, turn out that vote. [Laughter]
        I want to thank my Vice President. I'm proud
    to be running with Dick Cheney. He's a good, solid, strong American.
        I really am pleased to be working with a great United States
    Congressman from this part of the world. I'm proud of the job that Steve
    Pearce is doing. He brings that eastern New
    Mexico commonsense to Washington, DC. He's down-to-earth. He's smart.
    He's capable. He's doing you a great job in the House of
    Representatives. Laura and I are fond of
    Cynthia, his wife, and he kindly introduced
    me to his mother, Jane, today. I said to her, I
    said, ``Is Steve still listening to you?'' She said, ``About half the
    time.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Well, that sounds like me and my
    mother.'' [Laughter]
        With us today as well is a fellow running for Congress across the
    State line, named Randy Neugebauer. I know
    Randy. I trust his judgment. He's a good, honest man. He's a man that I
    can work with. It is important that the people of west Texas send Randy
    Neugebauer back to the United States Congress.
        I want to thank all the other State and local officials. I want to
    thank the members of my team who are here of Hispanic origin. The head
    of the SBA is here today, Hector Barreto; Rosario Marin, who's a former
    U.S. Treasurer; the White House Counsel, Alberto Gonzales, is with us today. These folks are here to help us
    inspire the Hispanic vote to come our way. Con su apoyo, vamos a ganar.
        See, my message is for everybody. When I say a hopeful America, I'm
    just not talking about one segment of the country, I'm talking about
    every single person when it comes to a hopeful America.
        I want to thank my friend Mark Wills. He's a
    good singer. Nice of him to be here today. I'm proud he's here.
        I particularly want to thank all the grassroots activists, the
    people involved with turning out the vote and making the phone calls. I
    know you've done a lot of hard work. First of all, it takes a lot of
    hard work to get this many people to show up. [Laughter] If you put the
    same amount of work you put into getting this rally going to getting
    people to the polls, there's no doubt in my mind we'll carry New Mexico
    and win a great victory in November.
        We had a great debate on Friday night. As you can tell, I'm kind of
    working my way west for the final debate. Our debates have highlighted
    the clear differences between the Senator and
    me on issues ranging from jobs to taxes to health care and to the war on
    terror. Much as he tries to obscure it, on issue after issue he has
    shown why he earned the ranking as the most liberal Member of the United
    States Senate. Several of his statements the other night simply don't
    pass the credibility test.
        With a straight face, he said he'd had
    only one position on Iraq. [Laughter] He must think we're on another
    planet. [Laughter] In the spring of 2003, as I ordered the invasion of
    Iraq, Senator Kerry said, ``It was the right decision.'' Now he says,
    ``It's the wrong war.'' In the same debate, he said Saddam was a threat. Then

    [[Page 2445]]

    a few minutes later, he said there wasn't a threat in Iraq. And now he
    tries to tell us he's had only one position. Who's he trying to kid?
    [Laughter] He can run, but he cannot hide.
        With another straight face, he tried to
    tell Americans that when it comes to his health care plan, and I quote,
    ``The Government has nothing to do with it.'' [Laughter] The facts are
    that 8 out of 10 people who get health care under Senator Kerry's plan
    would be placed on a Government program. He can run, but he cannot hide.
        Then he was asked to look into the camera--[laughter]--and promise
    he would not raise taxes for anyone who earns
    less than $200,000 a year. The problem is, to keep that promise he'd
    have to break almost all his other promises. [Laughter] His plan to
    raise taxes on the top two income brackets would raise about $600
    billion according to our counters, about $800 billion according to his
    planners--counters. The problem is, is that his spending plans will cost
    almost four times as much, $2.2 trillion. You can't have it both ways.
    To pay for all the big spending programs he's outlined during his
    campaign, he's going to have to raise your taxes. See, he can run, but
    he cannot hide.
        You know, listening--after listening to that litany of complaints
    and the dour pessimism, it took all I could do not to make a face.
    [Laughter] I have a different view, a different philosophy, and a strong
    record to be running on. I've worked hard to make this country a more
    hopeful place and a more secure place. I've led our country with
    principle and resolve, and that's how I'll continue to lead this Nation.
        The world in which we live and work is changing. Workers switch jobs
    more than they used to. Women are working in the home and outside the
    home as well. That means they need new skills and benefits they can take
    with them from job to job. Yet many of the most fundamental systems of
    our Government, the Tax Code, the health care, pension plans, and worker
    training, were created for a world of yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm
    running for 4 more years to transform these systems to help citizens
    realize their dreams.
        And a plan--any plan, any strategy for a hopeful America begins with
    a growing economy that creates good jobs. See, I believe in the energy
    and innovation and spirit of our workers and our small-business owners
    and our farmers and our ranchers. And that's why we unleashed that
    energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
        When you're out rounding up the vote, you might remind people of
    what we've been through, what this economy has been through. The stock
    market started to go down 6 months prior to my arrival in Washington,
    DC. See, and that was--that foretold the recession that came. So we had
    the stock market correction and a recession. We had some corporate
    scandals which affected our economy. By the way, we passed tough laws.
    We have made it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate dishonesty in
    the boardrooms of America. And then the enemy hit us. And that cost our
    economy one million jobs in the 3 months after September the 11th.
        No, we've been through a lot, but we acted. Because we passed tax
    relief, this economy is growing. It's getting stronger, and we're not
    going to go back to the old days of tax and spend. The past 13 months,
    we've added 1.9 million new jobs. The national unemployment rate is 5.4
    percent, which is lower than the average of the 1970s, the 1980s, and
    the 1990s. State unemployment rate in New Mexico is 5.4 percent. People
    are working. People are finding a way to make a living. Our farmers are
    doing well. Our ranchers are doing well. The homeownership rate in
    America is at an alltime high.
        We're moving forward, and there's more to do. To make sure quality
    jobs are here, created here in America, America must be the best place
    in the world to do business. That means less regulations on the job
    creators. That means we got to do something

    [[Page 2446]]

    about these frivolous lawsuits that are making it hard to expand the job
    base.
        Listen, to make sure this economy continues to grow, Congress needs
    to pass my energy plan. I put a plan up there that encourages
    conservation, that understands we can use renewables like ethanol and
    biodiesel. It's a plan that also recognizes that we can explore for
    natural gas in environmentally friendly ways. It's a plan that
    recognizes we can use clean coal technology. At the heart of my plan is
    the understanding that in order to create jobs here, America must become
    less dependent on foreign sources of energy. And people around here know
    what I'm talking about.
        To create jobs, we need to keep people and businesses safe from
    wildfires. That's why I worked with Congress to pass the Healthy Forests
    Restoration Act. It's an important piece of legislation for much of your
    State. This good law allows us to thin out the underbrush that damages
    our forests and serves as kindling for fires. It's a commonsense measure
    that's protected communities all across the West. I was proud to work on
    it, and I was proud to sign it into law. Both the Republican Senator
    from this State--and by the way, Pete Domenici is a good one. He's a fine man. Both the Republican
    Senator and the Democrat Senator from New
    Mexico supported the Healthy Forests bill. But my opponent was against it. Now he says he likes parts of the law. I
    guess it's not only the wildfires that shift in the wind. [Laughter]
        To create jobs, we've got to reject economic isolationism and open
    up markets. Listen, we've opened up the markets for products from
    overseas, and it's good for you as consumers. See, here's the way the
    market works. If you've got more products to choose from, you're likely
    to get that which you want at a better price and higher quality. That's
    how it works. So what I'm saying to places like China, ``You treat us
    the way we treat you. You open up your markets.'' And I'm saying that
    because I know we can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long
    as the rules are fair.
        To create jobs here and to make sure this economy grows, we got to
    keep your taxes low. Taxes are an issue in this campaign. We talked
    about them in the last debate, and I hope we talk about them in the next
    debate. See, he's saying, ``Oh, don't worry, I
    can pay for all my programs by taxing the rich.'' We've heard that
    before, haven't we?
        Audience members. [Inaudible]
        The President. Yes, you know how it works. First of all, as I told
    you, he doesn't have enough money to pay for
    all his programs. There's a tax gap, and guess who usually gets stuck
    filling the hole? Yes, you do. Something else about taxing the rich, the
    rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason: to dodge the tax bill
    and stick you with it. We're not going to let him do it to you; we're
    going to win in November.
        To build a more hopeful America, we've got to have the best prepared
    and most highly skilled workforce in the world. It all starts with
    education. I believe every child can learn and every school must teach.
    I went to Washington, DC, to challenge the soft bigotry of low
    expectations, to challenge those systems that would just shuffle the
    kids through, year after year, grade after grade, without teaching them
    the basics. See, we have a optimistic outlook. I learned it being out
    here where the sky is big. I believe every child can learn. I believe
    that. That's why we've raised the standards. That's why we believe in
    local control of schools. And that's why we measure, so we can solve
    problems early, before it is too late.
        The achievement gap in America is closing. We're not going back to
    those old days of mediocrity in our schools. No dejaremos a ningun nino
    atras--we will leave no child behind.
        Listen, most new jobs are filled by people with at least 2 years of
    college education, yet only one in four of our students

    [[Page 2447]]

    gets there. That's why we've got to fund early intervention programs for
    at-risk students in high schools. That's why we've got to emphasize math
    and science. That's why, over time, we'll require a rigorous exam before
    graduation. By raising performance in our high schools and by expanding
    Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we will help more
    Americans start their career with a college degree.
        I'm a big supporter of the community college system here in America.
    See, I believe that community colleges can be used wisely to make sure
    our workers gain the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st
    century.
        And to make sure our country is more hopeful, we need to make health
    care more affordable and more available. We need a safety net for those
    with the greatest needs. I believe every poor county in America ought to
    have a community health center, places where the poor and the indigent
    can get the health care they need. I believe we've got to expand those
    community health centers. Since I've been President, we've opened more
    than 600--expanded or opened more than 600. There's more to do. We got
    more to do to make sure our poor children are fully subscribed in
    programs for low-income families so they get the health care they need.
        There's more we can do to make sure health care is affordable. Most
    of the uninsured are employees of small businesses. In order to make
    sure families can get the insurance they need, we ought to allow small
    businesses to pool together, to pool risk across jurisdictional
    boundaries so they can buy insurance at the same discount that big
    companies can buy insurance. We'll make sure health savings accounts are
    available to all, so workers in small businesses are able to pay lower
    premiums and people can save tax-free in a health care account they call
    their own.
        To make sure health care is available and affordable, we've got to
    do something about the junk lawsuits that are running good doctors out
    of practice and running up the costs of your health care. You can't be
    pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital, and pro-trial-lawyer at the same
    time. [Laughter] I think you have to choose. And my opponent made his choice, and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I made my choice. I am for medical liability reform--
    now. No, there's a big difference in health care. We'll talk about it
    Wednesday night. But in all we do to improve health care, we will make
    sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by
    officials in Washington, DC.
        I went to Washington to solve problems, not to pass them on. And I
    felt we had a problem when it came to making sure our seniors got good,
    modern medicine. Medicare is a vital program, yet it wasn't keeping pace
    with the changes in medicine. Let me give you an example. We'd pay
    thousands of dollars for heart surgery but not one dime for the
    prescription drugs that could prevent the heart surgery from being
    needed in the first place. That didn't make any sense. It didn't make
    any sense for our seniors, and it didn't make any sense for the
    taxpayers. So I worked with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen
    Medicare. In 2006, our seniors will be able to get prescription drugs in
    the Medicare program. Medicare is changing for the better. Our seniors
    will get a modern health care program, and we're not going to go back to
    the old days.
        Let me talk about the retirement systems for a second. In the 2000
    campaign, I remember distinctly our seniors being told on television ads
    that, ``If George W. gets elected, you won't get your check.'' I don't
    know if they ran those kinds of ads here in New Mexico or not. I bet
    they did--yes. Well, the seniors got their checks. See, and that's the
    same kind of rhetoric you're going to hear again, because I'm going to
    talk about strengthening Social Security. But when I do so, I want you
    to remember

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    that if you're getting your Social Security check, nothing is going to
    change. No matter what the political rhetoric is, you're going to
    continue to get your check, just like we said you would. If you're a
    baby boomer, we're in pretty good shape when it comes to Social
    Security.
        But when it--but for our younger folks here in America, for our
    children and grandchildren, we need to think differently about whether
    or not the Social Security system is going to be viable for them. I
    believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of their own tax
    money and set up a personal savings account so they can get a better
    rate of interest on the money being accumulated for their retirement.
        In times of change, there are some things that don't change, the
    values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and
    integrity. In changing times, we will support the institutions that give
    our lives direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our
    religious congregations. We stand for a culture of life in which every
    person matters and every being counts. We stand for marriage and family,
    which are the foundations of our society. And we stand for the
    appointment of Federal judges who know the difference between personal
    opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
        This election will also determine how America responds to the
    continuing danger of terrorism. I believe the most solemn duty of the
    American President is to protect the American people. If America shows
    uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward
    tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
        Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we have
    fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for pride, not for power,
    but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. We've got a strategy
    that's clear. We're defending the homeland. We're transforming our
    military. I will make sure the All-Volunteer Army remains the All-
    Volunteer Army. We're reforming and strengthening our intelligence
    services. We're staying on the offensive. We are striking the terrorists
    abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
        Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home
    base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorists; Saudi
    Arabia was fertile ground for terrorists' fundraising; Libya was
    secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat; and Al
    Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. That's the way the
    world was.
        Because we acted, the Government of a free Afghanistan held
    Presidential elections last weekend and is an ally in the war on terror;
    Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders; Saudi Arabia is making raids
    and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs; the army of a
    free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and more than three-quarters of Al
    Qaida's key members and associates have been detained or killed. We have
    led. Many have joined. And America and the world are safer.
        After September the 11th, America had to assess every potential
    threat in a new light. It's one of the lessons of that fateful day. We
    confront an even greater danger, that the prospect of terrorists getting
    weapons of mass destruction would inflict great harm on America. We had
    to take a hard look at every place where terrorists might get those
    weapons.
        And one regime stood out, the dictatorship of Saddam
    Hussein. We knew his record of aggression and
    support for terror. We knew he hated America. We knew he had used
    weapons of mass destruction. We know that after September the 11th, we
    must take threats seriously before they fully materialize. In Saddam, we
    saw a threat.
        And I went to the United States Congress. They looked at the same
    intelligence I looked at. They remembered the same history I remembered.
    And they came to the same conclusion I came to, that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat. And they voted

    [[Page 2449]]

    to authorize the use of force. My opponent
    looked at the same intelligence, and he voted to authorize the use of
    force.
        Before the United States ever commits troops into harm's way, we
    must try all means to deal with the threat. No President ever wants to
    send America's sons and daughters to war. So I worked to avoid that. And
    I went to the United Nations in the hopes that diplomacy would work. The
    United Nations had a debate. They looked at the same intelligence we
    were looking at. They passed another resolution telling Saddam
    Hussein to ``Disclose, disarm, or face
    serious consequences.'' I believe that when an international body
    speaks, it must mean what it says.
        So we gave Saddam Hussein a final chance,
    and he continued to deceive the world. He was deceiving the weapons
    inspectors. And so I have a choice to make at this time in our history:
    Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and take the word of a
    madman, or do I take action to defend our country? Given that choice, I
    will defend America every time.
        Now, we didn't find the stockpiles that we all thought were there.
    But as the Duelfer report said, Saddam
    Hussein retained the intent and the
    capability to rebuild his weapons programs. He was gaming the Oil for
    Food Programme, using it to influence officials in other countries. Why?
    Because he wanted the world to look the other way, so he could restart
    his programs. The world is safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison
    cell. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision.
        Because we acted in Afghanistan and Iraq, America is safer and 50
    million people now live in freedom. Think about what took place in
    Afghanistan this past weekend. It's an unbelievable story. Just 3\1/2\
    years ago, people lived under the brutal dictatorship of the Taliban.
    These were people that wouldn't let many young girls go to school, and
    when women didn't agree with them, they took them in the public square
    and whipped them and sometimes killed them in the sports stadium. These
    were brutal people. And because they're gone, Afghanistan held
    Presidential elections. The first voter was a 19-year-old woman who was able to express her opinion in the polls.
        And Iraq has got a strong Prime Minister and
    a National Council, and national elections are scheduled for January.
    Think about how far that country has come from the days of torture
    chambers and mass graves. No, we're standing with the people of
    Afghanistan and Iraq, because when America gives its word, America must
    keep its word.
        We're also standing with them because a free Afghanistan and Iraq
    will make our country safer. See, free societies in the Middle East will
    be hopeful societies which no longer feed resentments and breed violence
    for export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight the
    terrorists instead of harboring them, and that helps us keep the peace.
        Our mission is clear. We will help those countries train armies so
    that the people of Afghanistan and Iraq can do the hard work of
    defending democracy. We'll help them get on the path to stability and
    self-govern as soon as possible, and then our troops will come home with
    the honor they have earned.
        We've got a great United States military. And I want to thank the
    veterans who are here today for having set such a great example to those
    who wear the uniform. And I want to thank the military families who are
    here today. I've made a commitment to those who wear the uniform and to
    their families: They'll have all the resources they need to do their
    job.
        That's why I went to the United States Congress in September of 2003
    and asked for $87 billion in supplemental funding to support our troops
    in harm's way in Afghanistan and Iraq. And this was essential funding.
    This was really important funding. We received great bipartisan support
    for

    [[Page 2450]]

    that funding. As a matter of fact, the support was so strong that only
    12 United States Senators voted against it. Now, when you're out there
    rounding up the vote, remind people there were only four United States
    Senators who voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against
    money necessary to support our troops in harm's way, and two of those
    are my opponent and his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. You might remember my opponent's famous quote, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] Now, I know something about
    eastern New Mexico and west Texas, and there are not many folks who talk
    like that in this part of the world. [Laughter] They kept pressing him,
    you know. He's given a lot of explanations for that vote. There are just
    too many to enumerate. [Laughter] One of my favorites is when he said,
    ``Well, it's just a complicated matter.'' [Laughter] There's nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        Now, on national security, my opponent has
    a record. He can run, but he can't hide from it. [Laughter] He voted
    against the weapons systems that helped our country win the cold war. He
    voted to cut America's intelligence budget by $7.5 billion after 1993.
    That's after the World Trade Center got bombed for the first time. He
    now says he wants a ``global test'' before taking action to defend
    America's security.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. That's what he said. I'm
    not putting words in his mouth, either. [Laughter] The problem is the
    Senator can never pass his own test. [Laughter] Think about that. In
    1990, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution supporting
    action to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
    The international community was united. Countries throughout the world
    joined our coalition. Yet in the United States Senate after the Security
    Council resolution, Senator Kerry voted no on the authorization of
    force.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. See, if driving Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait with the support of the international
    community does not meet this test, then nothing will meet his test, and
    that's dangerous in the kind of world we live in. See, we have a
    different view of the world, a different view of America's role in
    confronting threats. Just this weekend, we saw new evidence that Senator
    Kerry fundamentally misunderstands the war on
    terror. Earlier he questioned whether it was really a war at all,
    describing it as primarily a law enforcement and intelligence gathering
    operation instead of a threat that demands the full use of American
    power.
        Now, just this weekend, Senator Kerry
    talked of reducing terrorism to, quote, ``nuisance,'' end quote, and
    compared it to prostitution and illegal gambling. See, I couldn't
    disagree more. Our goal is not to reduce terror to some acceptable level
    of nuisance. Our goal is to defeat terror by staying on the offensive,
    destroying terrorists, and spreading freedom and liberty around the
    world.
        I'll always work with our friends and allies. Alliances are
    important, and over the next 4 years, we'll continue to build strong
    coalitions. But I will never turn over America's national security
    decisions to leaders of other countries.
        I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I tell people
    about my relationship with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. I tell them that because it's an
    interesting lesson. You see, it wasn't all that long ago that we were
    fighting the Japanese. If you're 58 years old, it seems like an
    eternity, since it was 60 years ago. [Laughter] But my dad was in the war. I guarantee you there are people here in
    the audience who were touched by that war and had a granddad or a dad
    fight in that war.
        And after we won, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States,
    believed in

    [[Page 2451]]

    the power of liberty to transform societies, and he worked with the
    Japanese to help them develop a democracy. A lot of people questioned
    that. You know, there was a lot of pessimism after World War II. You can
    understand why. The Japanese were the enemy. Why do we care after we
    won? We had defeated them. A lot of people here's lives had been turned
    upside-down because a loved-one's life had been lost, and they didn't
    have--want to have anything to do with the enemy. But fortunately, there
    were people in this country who had the faith in the ability of liberty
    to transform societies. And so now I sit down at the table with Prime
    Minister Koizumi talking about the peace,
    talking about how to achieve the peace we want for our children and
    grandchildren.
        I believe the same lessons apply for today. We will achieve a free
    Iraq. Iraq will be a democracy. And when we do so, at some point in
    time, an American President and a duly elected leader of Iraq will be
    sitting down talking about how to keep the peace. And our children and
    grandchildren will be able to live in a better world.
        I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for
    their freedom. I believe women want there to be a free society in the
    Middle East. I know they want their children to be able to grow up in a
    world in which they can realize their dreams. I believe that if given a
    chance, the people of the Middle East will embrace the most honorable
    form of government ever devised by man. I believe all these things
    because freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the
    Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
    expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time
    that requires firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values
    that makes us a great nation.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
    Towers. It's a day that is indelibly etched in my memory. I will never
    forget it. There were workers in hardhats yelling at me at the top of
    their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember a man grabbing me by the
    arm, and looked me in the eyes, and he said, ``Do not let me down.''
    Ever since that day, I have awakened, working as hard as I possibly can
    to protect this country. I will never relent in defending America,
    whatever it takes.
        Four years ago, when I traveled your great State, I said if you gave
    me a chance to serve, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the
    office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your hard work,
    I will do so for 4 more years.
        Thanks for coming. God bless. God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:13 a.m. at the Lea County Event Center.
    In his remarks, he referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made
    the keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention; Gov. Jeb
    Bush of Florida; Cynthia Pearce, wife of Representative Stevan Pearce;
    Randy Neugebauer, candidate for Texas' 19th Congressional District;
    entertainer Mark Wills; Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico; Charles
    Duelfer, Special Advisor to the Director of Intelligence; Prime Minister
    Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; and Prime Minister
    Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. He also referred to the ``Comprehensive
    Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD,'' issued
    September 30.

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